In the literature of science, authors are solitary artisans building cathedrals of thought, style and fact meant to last well beyond any one reader’s attention span. These are the books that can shape how our culture sees science itself. In pursuit of a broader audience, the science writer must combine technical expertise with compelling narratives that can come alive on the page and on multiple platforms, including the Web and social media. In a discussion of the science writing craft, five of today’s most successful authors share the secrets of literary science writing, drawn from their own writer’s toolkit. Highlighted by selected readings from their published work, these authors will, in turn, explore the fundamental building blocks of science literature: voice, structure, story, expertise and language.